Lip Treatments -LUSH - Lip Service Lip Balm
marleypup 1/4/2008 11:04:00 AM
Let's keep this short and simple. This is the only product for lips that I've found (or made, yes, I've tried) that makes my lips smooth in the dead of winter. It's cold and dry here. I mouth-breathe when I sleep. Not a good combination! It doesn't smell like much--a subtle, true honey tinged with mild orange--and it looks and feels thick and gunky. I just stick it in my pocket or under my laptop for a minute and it's soft enough to take a tiny smidge and rub it in well. Twice a day and my lips are smooth as can be! Don't let the size fool you; this tiny tin can easily last the better part of a year.
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Gels/Soaps -LUSH - Honey I Washed the Kids soap
marleypup 1/3/2008 11:50:00 PM
Like all of LUSH's soaps, this is a melt-and-pour glycerin base product. It's not cold-process, made-with-lye-and-oil. So naturally it won't be as moisturizing as it is more of a detergent. However, I find this delicious, toffee/gardenia/honey soap to be more softening and soothing than others by LUSH. The ingredients are superior, with aloe and honey water and lovely essential oils. The soap comes topped with a hunk of beeswax (may or may not be real, not sure!), which can be used to exfoliate feet or other rough bits. The soap itself is fragrant and lingers on the skin. It's perfect for hand-washing; we always keep a chunk by the sink. The slight floral undertones of Honey I Washed the Kids makes it much less cloying than it would be otherwise. And for the record, it's not a true honey--it's more of a candyish honey, like toffee and chocolate. Delicious and unusual. It's a top seller for a reason! Be careful to drain it well and leave it some place dry or it will melt away, and it is NOT cheap.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Chanel - No.5
marleypup 1/3/2008 7:45:00 PM
This was a revolutionary product. If you are at all interested in perfumery, please read up on the development/marketing. I feel it kind of led to the destruction of natural perfumery, but that's just my conspiracy theory. Okay, I used to adore it. It has that synthetic, headache-inducing powder scent. You really cannot identify any notes unless you try very hard. It's designed that way purposely. It's a pretty scent that men seem to adore and women look up to. I get treated differently by sales associates when I wear this perfume. It's got status behind it, if nothing else. It's terribly expensive. It has lasting power, and the dry-down is pleasant--a musky vanilla baby powder. Recently I've found I'm allergic to it and get a runny nose whenever I wear it. I am pretty sure when I was 18 I asked for it for graduation because Marilyn Monroe swore by it and because of all of the glamour surrounding the stuff. I might buy it again one day, for nostalgia. It's the first perfume my almost-husband smelled on me, so there's that! If you're looking for a delicate yet strong and *very* feminine smell, go for it. Just don't put on too much, please. For the sake of your fellow diners/elevator riders/co-workers!
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Moisturizers -Vaseline - Petroleum Jelly
marleypup 1/3/2008 7:38:00 PM
I used to use this to remove my eye makeup and I'd also slather it on my feet before bed as well as lips and any other dry spots. As an eye makeup remover, it really cannot be beat. But now I see why it never really moisturized my poor, dry skin--petroleum products don't actually add moisture at all. They lock in/provide a barrier for whatever water/sebum's already in there. Eh. I won't buy the stuff again. I don't feel great about supporting the petroleum industry in general, and I prefer simple jojoba oil for eye makeup removal. Also the jar...the lid always falls off and I always worry about dipping my fingers into it. Bacteria near my eyes is nothing to play with.
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Masks -Queen Helene - Mint Julep Masque
marleypup 1/3/2008 7:29:00 PM
This is so cheap and cruelty-free and perfect in every way. If you have cystic acne or oily skin, GO BUY THIS! If you are a teen, buy it. If you are in the heat of summer and want something to cool you down and pull all the humidity out of your sticky, clogged pores, buy it! The smell is gentle and minty; more of a botanical mint than a candy scent. It's a very natural product, and is HUGE as well as dirt cheap at any drugstore or discount store. You will likely never need to purchase a new tube unless your current one dries out (mine did, after nine or so months). Using it as a full-face treatment shouldn't be done more than once a week, even if your skin is oily. It's a strong mask with lots of drying clay. It leaves you glowy, with invisible pores and clear skin for days to come. If you have any pimples starting--especially those icky, deep cystic ones that take days to show up on the surface--slather this on daily and leave it on overnight. It is the single best spot-treatment I've found, and for the price, you really ought to give it a spin.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Christian Dior - Diorshow Mascara
marleypup 1/3/2008 7:24:00 PM
Hmm. I would not buy this for the price. It flakes, and a high-end mascara shouldn't do that. It doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes, and I wear contacts. Points for that, of course. But it also dries out quickly in the tube, meaning unless you load it on like a 13-year-old emo kid with a point to prove, you'll probably have to toss it before you run out. My sample was large and went to good use for travel. I just expected a false-lash look with no clumps. I got great length out of this mascara, but it did little for volume, which surprised me so much.
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Lip Treatments -Burt's Bees - Beeswax Lip Balm
marleypup 1/3/2008 7:20:00 PM
I really used to swear by this! I never loved the taste, as I'm not into minty smells. But I realized I was buying two tubes a month...and my lips were still so, so dry. Why? I think the ingredients dry my lips out. The balm is *not* thick, either. If you can get it for a good price, it's a decent balm to have around when tins are impractical (though I find the caps on the balm here to be hard to pull off in the cold weather). It's also petroleum-free, which is *very* important to me. I won't buy it again unless I'm in a pinch, as there are many more nourishing balms out there.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Great Lash Mascara
marleypup 1/3/2008 7:17:00 PM
I know it's a classic. I know the packaging is cute. I know it's a good price. I know the (unlikely) stories of how makeup artists for supermodels *swear* by it. I just don't get the appeal. It's so very basic, which might appeal to some. If I was going to wear false lashes, this product might be nice--not gunky. But for daily use, I get nothing from this mascara aside from a bit of colour that tends to flake off through the day. It also irritates my sensitive eyes (I wear contacts most days), whether I am wearing glasses or contacts. If you are looking for a simple, basic, no-frills mascara, or are just starting to wear makeup, it's a good choice and pretty fool-proof. It just didn't work for me, despite the hype. No volume at all, which is what I look for in a good mascara. I won't repurchase unless I want to try the false lash combination.
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Lotions/ Creams -Aquolina - Pink Sugar Creamy Body Lotion
marleypup 1/3/2008 7:10:00 PM
I hate to give any Pink Sugar-scented item a poor review. But as many of you savvy ladies know, perfumes with coordinating lotions...well, the lotions tend to be lower in quality. I don't even know the ingredients in this product, which worries me. I hate putting mineral oil/petroleum on my skin, and I imagine this has it. The scent is beautiful and long-lasting, very true to the Pink Sugar perfume. The packaging is frustrating, as the cap is leaky. The texture is definitely *not* creamy, so the name is incredibly misleading; it's very runny and hard to put on the skin. It smooths easily, and leaves a sexy sheen, so it's very nice for going out dancing. The scent lingers after a long night at a smoky bar. I don't get any moisturization from this, only a temporary soft-skin feel. I received it as a gift from a lovely person, but will not purchase it again for myself--I will stick to e-tailer duplicates.
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Scrubs -LUSH - Buffy the Backside Slayer
marleypup 1/3/2008 7:05:00 PM
This is a revolutionary product that spawned countless duplicates from other bath and body peddlers. With good reason. It's incredible. Instead of your traditional oil and sugar scrub in a jar, it's a solid block of cocoa butter, shea butter, ground rice, ground beans, and toning essential oils. The scent is herbal, smelling rather similar to LUSH's Dreamtime melt to my nose. A lot of people do not care for the smell, so I would advise sniffing prior to buying. However, a lot of people can ignore their hatred for the smell because the results are so lovely. Before a hot date or slipping into a bathing suit, I use Buffy. Keep this item out of direct water flow and let it dry before storing--it will melt quickly. It's expensive but if you use it wisely it will last through a good 7-10 full-body scrubs. Be gentle with the pressure; the scratchy-factor is intensive and can be irritating to the chest, arms, belly, etc. If you have oily skin, pass this one up. You will NOT need lotion after using this scrub bar. I love it so much; it's made my stretch marks from puberty diminish to faint white lines and tones my butt temporarily. Lovely stuff.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -LUSH - Sexy Peel Soap
marleypup 1/3/2008 6:59:00 PM
I will preface this by saying that I'm not supremely in love with most citrus scents. Unless it has bergamot or neroli, I probably won't love plain ol' lemon or orange. Sexy Peel is a fun texture and a happy colour--soft, pinchable, and bright yellow. The scent is very fresh-squeezed. It's not very complex. The soap does dry my skin out, but all of LUSH's soaps do so. This one is particularly drying, which makes me think it might be great for the middle of summer, as the citrus oils should combat backne. Ew. This is definitely one the boys will love. It melts quickly and is expensive like all of the LUSH soaps. I probably will not purchase this again. It didn't impress me enough; there are so many good citrus soaps/gels out there.
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Bath Treatments -LUSH - All That Jasmine Bath Bomb
marleypup 1/3/2008 1:08:00 PM
DId you know LUSH now uses biodegradable bags for their products? Now my solid bath salts can be even more eco-friendly. That aside, this bomb is glorious. It smells similar to the discontinued (available in the UK!) Fairy Jasmine, but more like vanilla and jasmine rather than the jasmine and vetiver combo we love in Silky Underwear. It's a pretty bath bomb, both intact and once fizzled away into your bath water. The pale green with a little pink candy flower...very preppy, very cute. In the water, it's a lovely bright aqua. The scent lingers in the bath and out, and layering with Alkmaar soap and Silky Underwear dusting powder is irresistable, really! Of course, all of LUSH's bath bombs are costly. But if you look at the ingredients you will NOT see cornstarch, nor will you see any fillers. You'll see some good essential oils, too. While you may be tempted to halve the bomb for frugality's sake, don't. Take three amazing baths a week rather than seven so-so baths! All That Jas is friendly to those who might fear florals--give it a try. It's a sweet, dusty floral tinged with gardenia and lots of vanilla and a hint of benzoin. Lovely, gentle yet strong. There are no "bits" in this item, which is nice if you want a peaceful bath! I will repurchase many times.
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Cleansers -LUSH - Angels on Bare Skin
marleypup 1/3/2008
Everything I knew about skincare (or thought I knew!) flew in the face of this. It was too... ...simple! Too oily. Too...minimalist. Packaged in a plastic deli pot, it won't win any beauty pageants. But the name is pretty, the smell is delicate, the price is right, and it lasts you 'til it goes off and you have to chuck it. Like most LUSH solid cleansers, it's a pain to use at first. You have to take a pinch (a very small one!), mush it up into a paste with a few drops of warm water, and rub it onto damp skin. I find that with this product you can rub harder to exfoliate more. Nice! However it leaves a film that toner can't remove. Also, it doesn't do a terrible lot for my acne-prone skin. It leaves it soft and glowy, which is desirable, but I need a harsher cleanser. I would suggest people with normal, slightly-dry, or sensitive skin give this a spin. I'll buy it again to exfoliate, perhaps.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Philosophy - Purity Made Simple (Real Purity Cleanser)
marleypup 1/2/2008 11:29:00 PM
I actually didn't expect to change a thing about my skincare. I am happy removing my makeup (which is minimal most days) with some creamy moisturizer and a cloth. However I received a sample packet of this lovely stuff with my QVC order of my very first Philosophy 3-in-1s. I was sucked in. The ingredients are nice. I love the essential oils and absolutes--the lack of synthetic perfume makes it easy on my eyes (pun...). It also smells great for nighttime. I have oily/combo/acne-prone skin, so the oils scared me. I found that they actually deep clean into my pores if I rub long enough, gently. I finish up with a bit of LUSH Fresh Farmacy solid complexion soap and moisturize. This is a very effective product as far as makeup removal and moisturization goes. It takes off the thickest, ickiest mascara coating. The packaging is neat and minimalist, which I love. A little goes a long way, but the price is a tad high. Still, for what I view as a high-quality product that my picky skin takes to...love it.
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Fragrances -Aquolina - Pink Sugar
marleypup 1/2/2008 11:23:00 PM
I started wearing e-tailer dupes of this product, until a lovely, lovely friend sent me a gift set that included a full-size bottle. The dupes don't compare. They really don't. They're too peppery/musky. The real deal is lighter, with more noticeable top notes and a softer, Egyptian-like musk. The cotton candy is nothing to fear, though I imagine it puts many people off when they read the notes. It's not a bit like the cotton candy sprays of yore, when they were sold next to scents like "Gummi Bears" at your local drugstore. The price is actually quite good at Sephora. The scent is very long-lasting and doesn't morph much on my skin (everything morphs on my skin, really). If I spray it under my hair or on my clothing I can smell 'til either is washed. The scent is genre-spanning. It's sweet, sure. But I wouldn't say gourmand, as it's also sexy (musk, pepper) and fresh (citrus). It's not too little-girl for me, and I typically like perfumes like Chanel No. 5 and dark scents such as Arcana's more Gothic perfume oils. When I run out, I will repurchase, though I won't run out for awhile. A word on packaging...the cardboard tube it comes in is handy for travel, but the bottle itself? The metallic criss-cross design rubs off quickly, which is a bit disappointing.
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